Improvement in fire-extinguishers



ering the seat c e.

NITED STATES A'rnN'r r'rron.

IMPROVEMENT 1N FIRE-EXTINGUISHERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 82,421, dated September 22, 1868.

To all whom 'it may concern' Be it known that I, WV. H. LAUBACH, ofthe city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have :invented a new and Improved Firc-Extinguisher; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact descriplion thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and letters of reference marked thereon, and forming part of this specitication.

My invention consists of a case of suitable sheet metal, with, a metal tube in the same, into each ot' which are placed certain chemi-v cals, which, when mixed as hereafter described, generate a gas which, when applied to re of any nature, completely extinguishes it. This invention, in its practical operation, is much more economical than any other tire-extinguisher, besides which it is of such a nature' that the force produced by the generation of the gas can be so regulated that all danger of the explosion of the machine is entirely obviated by means hereafter to be described.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A is the outer case, made of suitable sheet metal. B is the screwcap, inclosing the chamber or case A. O is the inside vessel or tube, which is also made of suitable sheet metal, (or, it' certain chemicals are used, then I make it ot' glass,) and made to contain one ingredientof the generating compound, with a screw and shoulder on the upper end b b. a is a vent-pipe. c c is the valve-seat, attached to the lower end of the cap B. D is a valve, cov- E is a diaphragm, made of leather or any suitable material. Fis the outlet-pipe, with hose attached. Gr is the bottom, and H the top, of the case or machine A. d d is a tlange for fastening the edges of the diaphragm, and making it water and air tight. e e are nuts for fastening the stem ot' the valve D to the diaphragm E. f f is a spiral spring, pressing on the diaphragm E. g g is a cap for regulating the pressure of the spring j' on the diaphragm E.

wall, above the valve-seat c c. Y

The method of operating my machine is as follows: I irst remove the cap B, to which the tube C is attached, from the case A. I then seats e e.

h 71. are openings through the ll the case A with water nearly up to the top. In this I introduce a suitable quantity of bicarbonate of soda, say about a quarter of va v pound pound) to one gallon of water. I then place in the inside vessel or tube C tartaric acid, say about a quarter ot a pound pound) to every gallon of water in the outside vessel A. I then screw the tube C onto the valve- Ithen screw the tube C into the vessel A. The machine is now ready charged. When I want to use it for the purpose ot' eX- tinguishing a fire I turn it upside down, so that H will then be the bottom and G the top. By this operation the liquid in the case A, which is impregnated with the bicarbonate of soda, passes through the apertures h h and up through the valve-seats c c, and comes in contact with the tartaric acid, which is inclosed in the tube G, and immediately generates gas, which produces a pressure upon the surface ot' the liquid in the case A. By having suitable hose and pipe attached to the cock F, and

opening the same, the liquid can be thrown upon the lire with great force, and thereby extinguish it.

Should the pressure in the vessel A be too great, or more than desired or necessary, its action upon the'diaphragm E will causeV the valve D to close against the valve-seats e e,

which will out off the communication between the water in the chamber or case A and the tartaric acid in the tube C, and by this means the generation of more gas is prevented until the pressure is decreased by drawing oft' the liquid through theliose and cock F. While the valve D is closed there will be a small quantity of liquid of the case A left in the tube C, which will generate a small quantity of gas,

that will find vent and pass up through the vent-tube a.

lhen the pressure of the gases on the diaphragm E is less than the pressure ot' the spring f, the valve D will open and allow the liquid in the chamber A to come in contact with the tartaric acid in the tube C, causing a fresh or new generation of gas.

By screwing down the cap g, the pressure ot' the spiral spring f on the diaphragm E is increased, and by unscrewing it the pressure is diminished. It' the pressure of the gas in the vessel A is greater on the diaphragm E than the pressure ofthe spring f on the opposite side of the diaphragm E, the valve D closes, and, if less, the valve D will open.

By raising or lowering (screwing or unscrewing) the cap g, the pressure in the chamber or case A can be regulated :tt-pleasure.

In ordinary re-extinguishers the gases are generated almost instantaneously to their full power and extent, which requires a very strong external covering or case to make them safe and to prevent explosion, and consequently necessitates the machines being made very heavy and scarcely portable. `his is obviated in my invention, as the force or pressure will be always equal in the chamber A until it is emptied of its contents.

By the operation of my machine the tartaric acid is only used as requiredthat is, it is not all instantaneously used, in contradistinction to other machines. I do not conne myself to putting the bicarbonate of soda in the case A and the tartaric acid in the tube G, as I sometimes reverse the process iu this way, by put-l ting the acid in case A and the bicarbonate ot soda in tube C, the result of which, so far as generating gas, being the same; nor do I conline myself to using these two chemicals to generate the gas. I sometimes use any other chemicals that are their equivalent-s, except those that have heretofore been subjects of Letters Patent for the sanne purposes.

I do not claim extinguishing fire by means of water charged with carbonio or acid gas, nor do l claim reversing the apparatus to mix the acid and the alkali, as that is covered by the patent of William Mullaley, Julie 2,1868; but

What I do claim as new, and desire to se cure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The tube C, in combination with the diaphragm E and valve D and vent-tube a, operated and constructed substantially as described.

2. The diaphragm E and spiral springef, y

constructed and operated as described.

3. The cap g, operating on the diaphragm E, constructed and operated as described.

- XV. H. LAUBAGH. Witnesses:

W. N. WALTON, M. H. NYKENDIG. 

